Judges 19:21

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So he brought him to his house and fed the donkeys. Then they washed their feet and ate and drank.

Hebrew Names Version
So he brought him into his house, and gave the donkeys fodder; and they washed their feet, and ate and drink.

King James Version
So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.

Lexham English Bible
So he brought him to his house, and he fed the donkeys; they washed their feet, ate, and drank.

English Standard Version
So he brought him into his house and gave the donkeys feed. And they washed their feet, and ate and drank.

New Century Version
So the old man took the Levite into his house, and he fed their donkeys. They washed their feet and had something to eat and drink.

New English Translation
So he brought him to his house and fed the donkeys. They washed their feet and had a meal.

Amplified Bible
So he brought him into his house and fed the donkeys; and they washed their feet and ate and drank.

New American Standard Bible
So he took him into his house and fed the donkeys, and they washed their feet and ate and drank.

Geneva Bible (1587)
So he brought him into his house, & gaue fodder vnto the asses: and they washed their feete, and did eate and drinke.

Legacy Standard Bible
keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.

Contemporary English Version
The old man brought them into his house and fed their donkeys. Then he and his guests washed their feet and began eating and drinking.

Complete Jewish Bible
So he brought him home and gave food to the donkeys. Then they washed their feet, and ate and drank.

Darby Translation
And he brought him into his house, and gave the asses provender; and they washed their feet, and ate and drank.

Easy-to-Read Version
Then the old man took the Levite and the people with him to his house. He fed their donkeys. They washed their feet and then had something to eat and drink.

George Lamsa Translation
So he brought him into his house, and gave fodder to his asses; and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.

Good News Translation
So he took them home with him and fed their donkeys. His guests washed their feet and had a meal.

Literal Translation
And he brought him to his house, and mixed fodder for the asses. And they washed their feet and ate and drank.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he broughte him in to his house, and gaue the asses prouender: and they washed their fete, and ate & dronke.

American Standard Version
So he brought him into his house, and gave the asses fodder; and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.

Bible in Basic English
So he took them into his house and gave the asses food; and after washing their feet they took food and drink.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And so he brought him into his house, and gaue fodder vnto the Asses: and they wasshed their feete, and dyd eate and drynke.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
So he brought him into his house, and gave the asses fodder; and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.

King James Version (1611)
So he brought him into his house, and gaue prouender vnto the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eate and drinke.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he brought him into his house, and made room for his asses; and they washed their feet, and ate and drank.

English Revised Version
So he brought him into his house, and gave the asses fodder: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.

Berean Standard Bible
So he brought him to his house and fed his donkeys. And they washed their feet and ate and drank.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he brouyte hym in to his hows, and yaf `mete to the assis; and after that thei waischiden her feet, he resseyuede hem `in to feeste.

Young's Literal Translation
And he bringeth him in to his house, and mixeth [food] for the asses, and they wash their feet, and eat and drink.

Update Bible Version
So he brought him into his house, and gave the donkeys fodder; and they washed their feet, and ate and drank.

Webster's Bible Translation
So he brought him into his house, and gave provender to the asses: and they washed their feet and ate and drank.

World English Bible
So he brought him into his house, and gave the donkeys fodder; and they washed their feet, and ate and drink.

New King James Version
So he brought him into his house, and gave fodder to the donkeys. And they washed their feet, and ate and drank.

New Living Translation
So he took them home with him and fed the donkeys. After they washed their feet, they ate and drank together.

New Life Bible
So he took him into his house and gave food to the donkeys. The people washed their feet and ate and drank.

New Revised Standard
So he brought him into his house, and fed the donkeys; they washed their feet, and ate and drank.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So he brought him into his house, and gave provender to the asses, - and they bathed their feet, and did eat and drink.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he brought him into his house, and gave provender to his asses: and after they had washed their feet, he entertained them with a feast.

Revised Standard Version
So he brought him into his house, and gave the asses provender; and they washed their feet, and ate and drank.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
So he took him into his house and gave the donkeys fodder, and they washed their feet and ate and drank.

Contextual Overview

¹⁶The Levite It was an era when there was no king in Israel. A Levite, living as a stranger in the backwoods hill country of Ephraim, got himself a concubine, a woman from Bethlehem in Judah. But she quarreled with him and left, returning to her father's house in Bethlehem in Judah. She was there four months. Then her husband decided to go after her and try to win her back. He had a servant and a pair of donkeys with him. When he arrived at her father's house, the girl's father saw him, welcomed him, and made him feel at home. His father-in-law, the girl's father, pressed him to stay. He stayed with him three days; they feasted and drank and slept. On the fourth day, they got up at the crack of dawn and got ready to go. But the girl's father said to his son-in-law, "Strengthen yourself with a hearty breakfast and then you can go." So they sat down and ate breakfast together. The girl's father said to the man, "Come now, be my guest. Stay the night—make it a holiday." The man got up to go, but his father-in-law kept after him, so he ended up spending another night. On the fifth day, he was again up early, ready to go. The girl's father said, "You need some breakfast." They went back and forth, and the day slipped on as they ate and drank together. But the man and his concubine were finally ready to go. Then his father-in-law, the girl's father, said, "Look, the day's almost gone—why not stay the night? There's very little daylight left; stay another night and enjoy yourself. Tomorrow you can get an early start and set off for your own place." But this time the man wasn't willing to spend another night. He got things ready, left, and went as far as Jebus (Jerusalem) with his pair of saddled donkeys, his concubine, and his servant. At Jebus, though, the day was nearly gone. The servant said to his master, "It's late; let's go into this Jebusite city and spend the night." But his master said, "We're not going into any city of foreigners. We'll go on to Gibeah." He directed his servant, "Keep going. Let's go on ahead. We'll spend the night either at Gibeah or Ramah." So they kept going. As they pressed on, the sun finally left them in the vicinity of Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin. They left the road there to spend the night at Gibeah. The Levite went and sat down in the town square, but no one invited them in to spend the night. Then, late in the evening, an old man came in from his day's work in the fields. He was from the hill country of Ephraim and lived temporarily in Gibeah where all the local citizens were Benjaminites. When the old man looked up and saw the traveler in the town square, he said, "Where are you going? And where are you from?" The Levite said, "We're just passing through. We're coming from Bethlehem on our way to a remote spot in the hills of Ephraim. I come from there. I've just made a trip to Bethlehem in Judah and I'm on my way back home, but no one has invited us in for the night. We wouldn't be any trouble: We have food and straw for the donkeys, and bread and wine for the woman, the young man, and me—we don't need anything." The old man said, "It's going to be all right; I'll take care of you. You aren't going to spend the night in the town square." He took them home and fed the donkeys. They washed up and sat down to a good meal. They were relaxed and enjoying themselves when the men of the city, a gang of local hell-raisers all, surrounded the house and started pounding on the door. They yelled for the owner of the house, the old man, "Bring out the man who came to your house. We want to have sex with him." He went out and told them, "No, brothers! Don't be obscene—this man is my guest. Don't commit this outrage. Look, my virgin daughter and his concubine are here. I'll bring them out for you. Abuse them if you must, but don't do anything so senselessly vile to this man." But the men wouldn't listen to him. Finally, the Levite pushed his concubine out the door to them. They raped her repeatedly all night long. Just before dawn they let her go. The woman came back and fell at the door of the house where her master was sleeping. When the sun rose, there she was. It was morning. Her master got up and opened the door to continue his journey. There she was, his concubine, crumpled in a heap at the door, her hands on the threshold. "Get up," he said. "Let's get going." There was no answer. He lifted her onto his donkey and set out for home. When he got home he took a knife and dismembered his concubine—cut her into twelve pieces. He sent her, piece by piece, throughout the country of Israel. And he ordered the men he sent out, "Say to every man in Israel: ‘Has such a thing as this ever happened from the time the Israelites came up from the land of Egypt until now? Think about it! Talk it over. Do something!'" ¹⁷The Levite It was an era when there was no king in Israel. A Levite, living as a stranger in the backwoods hill country of Ephraim, got himself a concubine, a woman from Bethlehem in Judah. But she quarreled with him and left, returning to her father's house in Bethlehem in Judah. She was there four months. Then her husband decided to go after her and try to win her back. He had a servant and a pair of donkeys with him. When he arrived at her father's house, the girl's father saw him, welcomed him, and made him feel at home. His father-in-law, the girl's father, pressed him to stay. He stayed with him three days; they feasted and drank and slept. On the fourth day, they got up at the crack of dawn and got ready to go. But the girl's father said to his son-in-law, "Strengthen yourself with a hearty breakfast and then you can go." So they sat down and ate breakfast together. The girl's father said to the man, "Come now, be my guest. Stay the night—make it a holiday." The man got up to go, but his father-in-law kept after him, so he ended up spending another night. On the fifth day, he was again up early, ready to go. The girl's father said, "You need some breakfast." They went back and forth, and the day slipped on as they ate and drank together. But the man and his concubine were finally ready to go. Then his father-in-law, the girl's father, said, "Look, the day's almost gone—why not stay the night? There's very little daylight left; stay another night and enjoy yourself. Tomorrow you can get an early start and set off for your own place." But this time the man wasn't willing to spend another night. He got things ready, left, and went as far as Jebus (Jerusalem) with his pair of saddled donkeys, his concubine, and his servant. At Jebus, though, the day was nearly gone. The servant said to his master, "It's late; let's go into this Jebusite city and spend the night." But his master said, "We're not going into any city of foreigners. We'll go on to Gibeah." He directed his servant, "Keep going. Let's go on ahead. We'll spend the night either at Gibeah or Ramah." So they kept going. As they pressed on, the sun finally left them in the vicinity of Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin. They left the road there to spend the night at Gibeah. The Levite went and sat down in the town square, but no one invited them in to spend the night. Then, late in the evening, an old man came in from his day's work in the fields. He was from the hill country of Ephraim and lived temporarily in Gibeah where all the local citizens were Benjaminites. When the old man looked up and saw the traveler in the town square, he said, "Where are you going? And where are you from?" ¹⁸The Levite said, "We're just passing through. We're coming from Bethlehem on our way to a remote spot in the hills of Ephraim. I come from there. I've just made a trip to Bethlehem in Judah and I'm on my way back home, but no one has invited us in for the night. We wouldn't be any trouble: We have food and straw for the donkeys, and bread and wine for the woman, the young man, and me—we don't need anything." ²⁰The old man said, "It's going to be all right; I'll take care of you. You aren't going to spend the night in the town square." He took them home and fed the donkeys. They washed up and sat down to a good meal.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

So he brought: Genesis 24:32, Genesis 43:24

they washed: Genesis 18:4, 1 Samuel 25:41, 2 Samuel 11:8, Luke 7:44, John 13:4, John 13:5, John 13:14, John 13:15, 1 Timothy 5:10

Reciprocal: Judges 19:6 - let thine heart 1 Kings 13:7 - refresh Job 31:32 - The stranger Isaiah 58:7 - bring Acts 16:15 - And she

Cross-References

Genesis 12:2
I'll make you a great nation and bless you. I'll make you famous; you'll be a blessing. I'll bless those who bless you; those who curse you I'll curse. All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you."

Genesis 19:9
They said, "Get lost! You drop in from nowhere and now you're going to tell us how to run our lives. We'll treat you worse than them!" And they charged past Lot to break down the door.

Genesis 19:15
At break of day, the angels pushed Lot to get going, "Hurry. Get your wife and two daughters out of here before it's too late and you're caught in the punishment of the city."

Genesis 19:16
Lot was dragging his feet. The men grabbed Lot's arm, and the arms of his wife and daughters— God was so merciful to them!—and dragged them to safety outside the city. When they had them outside, Lot was told, "Now run for your life! Don't look back! Don't stop anywhere on the plain—run for the hills or you'll be swept away."

Psalms 34:15
God keeps an eye on his friends, his ears pick up every moan and groan.

Psalms 145:19
He does what's best for those who fear him— hears them call out, and saves them.

Jeremiah 14:10
Then God said of these people: "Since they loved to wander this way and that, never giving a thought to where they were going, I will now have nothing more to do with them— except to note their guilt and punish their sins."

Luke 11:8
"But let me tell you, even if he won't get up because he's a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he'll finally get up and get you whatever you need.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So he brought him into his house,.... Showed him the way to it, and in a kind and friendly manner introduced him, and bid him welcome:

and gave provender unto the asses; this is mentioned first, it being then perhaps, as now, the first thing that a careful man is concerned for, to see that his cattle is taken care of, and then himself; and such a method this ancient good man took with his guest:

and they washed their feet; which was commonly done to strangers in those hot countries, and was very refreshing, see Genesis 18:4

and did eat and drink; sat down at table and supped with him.